Stuart Grehan of Great Britain & Ireland is interviewed with his son Kai after his win during the Saturday Singles on Day One of the Walker Cup at Lahinch Golf Club on September 5, 2026 in Lahinch, County Clare. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

Stuart Grehan was inspired by the memory of his late uncle Willie to produce a remarkable singles comeback to take down world number one Preston Stout and keep hopes of a home victory alive in the 51st Walker Cup at Lahinch.

The Tullamore man (33) teamed up with Eliot Baker to claim a crucial foursomes half with Stout and Ethan Fang as Great Britain and Ireland forged a 2.5-1.5 lead at lunch.

It was tougher going in the singles, but after the USA claimed the next four matches, the hosts won the last three to share the session 4-4.

They go into the final day with a 6.5-5.5 lead and with rain and 40mph gusts forecast, they need seven of the 14 points on offer to win for the first time since 2015.

Only a zephyr breeze wafted over the Co Clare links in the morning, but Grehan breathed life into the GB&I side as the wind blew harder in the singles, coming back from three down after three holes and two down with three to play to beat Stout by one hole.

Stuart Grehan completes a remarkable comeback from 2 down with 3 to play to beat world number one Preston Stout with this birdie at the 18th. He had help from above, he said, following the passing of his uncle Willie Egan last week. pic.twitter.com/d69JHfEgY2
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) September 5, 2026

“That was an unbelievable game,” said the reigning Amateur champion, who claimed the 16th in par and walked in a 20-footer for a brilliant birdie at the 17th before holing a 14-footer for a closing birdie to a huge Lahinch roar.

“Both of us played really, really well, and I’m just so happy to come out the other end of it. It was weird. Even when I was two down, I stayed very calm and produced some really good golf.”

As for the loss of his uncle Willie Egan last Tuesday, he said: “He was watching me last week, and yeah, he was being very good to me, and he’s looking over me this week.”

The match was a classic matchplay tussle that Grehan said was “up there” with the best matches he’s ever played.

“He’s obviously the best player in the world for a reason,” he said of Stout. “He was very, very good, but I just got the other end of him today.

“On a different day, he’d beat me. I was one of those days, but that was cool. I actually forgot it was two down with three to play. I just stayed in it and played some really, really good golf coming in. So, delighted, delighted.”

Stout started par-birdie-birdie to go three up before Grehan halved the Dell in twos, then birdied the sixth, eighth and 10th to square the match.

They halved the long 12th in birdie before Grehan drove into the Mine and lost the 13th, then watched Stout get up and down to halve the 14th before ripping a 199-yard approach to a couple of inches at the 15th to go 2-up with three to play.

Both men missed the 16th green, but it was Grehan who got up and down, making a five-footer to get back to one down.

When Stout was forced to lay up out of heavy rough right of the 17th, Grehan hit two corkers into the breeze to find the heart of the green and with two putts for the win, he needed only one.

At the last, he drove into the rough and opted to play the hole as a three-shotter, leaving himself 14 feet for the win after Stout pitched to 20 feet from the right rough and left his birdie putt short.

A world amateur number one shot ✨🇺🇸

Just short of perfection from Preston Stout. pic.twitter.com/EMztmJFhBy
— The Walker Cup (@WalkerCup) September 5, 2026

“When Preston stiffed it for birdie on 15, to be perfectly honest, I thought that was it,” Grehan said. “But he gave me a bit of a lifeline on 16, and then I played 17 and 18 pretty well.

“It’s always nice to turn around and match when you’re three down against the world number one. So I’m very proud of myself.”

The home side were up in four of the eight singles early in the afternoon, but respective comeback wins for Ethan Fang and Willie Jennings over US Amateur champion Jack Whaley and Scotland’s Connor Graham turned the tide.

Jay Leng Jnr beat England’s Tyler Weaver 2&1, and US veteran Stewart Hagestad (35) fought back to beat Ben Bolton 2&1 to make it 5.5-3.5 for the visitors.

But a strong response from the GB&I tail proved crucial.

Baker beat Josiah Gilbert 3&2 in the anchor match, and after Scotland’s Niall Sheils Donegan beat world number two Tyler Watts 3&2, Luke Poulter held on to beat left-hander Miles Russell 2&1.

As for the morning foursomes, Great Britain and Ireland won the session 2.5-1.5 with Grehan and Baker halving with Stout and Leng Jnr.

The Tullamore man put GB&I in the driving seat when he drove the par-four 13th and set up a birdie that put them one up.

But Stout birdied the 16th to draw level, and when Baker missed a short putt at the 17th, the USA took a one-up lead down the par-five 18th, only for the world number one to miss a six-footer for the match after Grehan had set up a simple birdie with a stunning 275-yard three-wood that came up just a few yards short of the green.

Twelve months ago, the USA took a 6.5-5.5. lead into the final day and went on to share the foursmes before destroying GB&I 8.5-1.5 in the singles.

Home skipper Robertson is hoping for a diifferent outcome this time even with bad weather forecast.

"I think that's probably the finest golf tournament or day of golf I've ever been involved in," he said. "I think the the Walker Cup has just been an amazing showcase of what the game is all about in its purest form.

"And to be ahead last year, we had a great foursomes session in the morning at Cypress Point and we got turned over.

"This this time we're we're going ahead tomorrow, so we're under no illusions that it's going to be extremely challenging.

"But I think the weather's going to play a factor as well tomorrow, so everybody's going to have to be on their mettle, and it's going to be a tough day."

51st Walker Cup match

After day one - USA 5.5 - Great Britain & Ireland 6.5

Morning Foursomes (USA names first)

Preston Stout & Ethan Fang halved with Stuart Grehan & Eliot Baker

Jay Leng Jnr & Kihei Akina lost to Connor Graham & Tyler Weaver 1 hole

Miles Russell & Tyler Watts beat Luke Poulter & Sam Easterbrook 1 hole

Josiah Gilbert & Ryder Cowan lost to Niall Sheils Donegan & Josh Hill 4&3.

USA 1.5- Great Britain and Ireland 2.5.

Afternoon singles (USA names first)

Preston Stout lost to Stuart Grehan 1 hole

Ethan Fang bt Jack Whaley 1 hole

William Jennings bt Connor Graham 1 hole

Jay Leng Jnr bt Tyler Weaver 1 hole

Stewart Hagestad bt Ben Bolton 2&1

Miles Russell lost to Luke Poulter 2&1

Tyler Watts lost to Niall Sheils Donegan 3&2

Josiah Gilbert lost to Eliot Baker 3&2

USA 4 - Great. Britain and Ireland 4